Latest news with #PeterNelson
The Citizen
29-05-2025
- General
- The Citizen
Birdlife SA launches revised Red Data Book
Birdlife South Africa are proud to launch the revised Red Data Book of Birds of South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini 2025 (RDB-online). This is a comprehensive, freely accessible online resource revealing the conservation status of the region's birds. This announcement was made during their annual general meeting in Cape Town on Saturday (May 24), marking a pivotal moment for regional bird conservation. Many of the birds listed as vulnerable or critically endangered can still be found within 50km of Ladysmith KZN. This includes White Winged Flufftails, Lesser Flamingos, Secretary Birds, White Backed Vultures, Grey Crowned Cranes and Crown Eagles, to name but a few. The revised Red Data Book was put together over three years. More than 137 ornithologists, conservationists and citizen scientists collaborated on 193 detailed reports to quantify 'risk of extinction' for the region's birds. This extends to an additional 70 endemic and near-endemic species still considered to be at a lower risk of extinction, such as the Cape Sugarbird and Orange-breasted Sunbird. Also read: Road closure in certain streets due to maintenance The RDB-online provides insights into the conservation threats faced by the region's birds, as well as the effect of countermeasures put in place to protect them. The findings are alarming yet hopeful, and provide crucial insights into threats and clear pathways for conservation action. Ladysmith Birders president Peter Nelson had this to say about RDB-online, 'This is a seriously useful resource. I would recommend that everyone goes to look at the web page, as it's well worth the time.' Please follow us on our YouTube channel and do not be shy; please subscribe and comment as well. Click to receive news links via WhatsApp. Or for the latest news, visit our webpage or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Join us there! At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Forbes
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
Test-Driving A Classic 1997 BMW M3 On Track
The E36 BMW M3 Coupe. Peter Nelson We're undoubtedly living through an era of peak high-performance vehicle technology. Precision engine and chassis tuning make for a phenomenal driving experience right off the showroom floor in many new cars, with a top example being the current, G80-generation BMW M3. But as much as new technology elevates this beast's performance driving experience—to the tune of around 500 horsepower—so does old technology in BMW M3 generations of yore. Like the E36-generation of the mid-to-late '90s, which produced a far lower 240 horsepower in the US market when new. Recently, a friend threw me the keys to his E36-generation 1997 BMW M3 at a track day at Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca outside of Monterey, California. After driving countless modern performance cars during my stint as an automotive journalist, including the latest BMW M2, M3, and M4, I was smitten with how this minimally modified old sports car took on this track's storied tarmac. It wasn't just a palate cleanser, but an excellent history lesson, too. The E36 BMW M3's S52 inline-six engine. Peter Nelson Reaching American shores for the 1995 model year, the E36 has always been a bit of black sheep amongst other M3 generations. We barely got it to begin with—enthusiasts had to band together and work hard to convince BMW USA to bring it over after slow sales of the previous E30 generation. And even then, we didn't get the lively 280-horsepower S50 engine that the rest of the world got. Instead, USA models got the S52, which is a lot closer to the non-M M52 than many enthusiasts would prefer. For all intents and purposes, it's a bored-and-stroked M52 with slightly hotter camshafts, mildly revised ECU tuning, and not much else. Regardless, the S52 is still quite entertaining, it responds well to modification, and everything else about the E36 M3 is quite appealing. It received sportier suspension and chassis tuning over the standard 3 series, plus some slick exterior upgrades, a limited-slip differential, bigger and wider wheels, better brakes, and some chic interior equipment. Existing between the rare E30 and more substantially souped-up E46, E36 prices are generally regarded as low for M car fare—music to any track enthusiast's ears, though clean examples definitely fetch a premium. When it comes to the example I drove, its level of prep is fairly minimal: Lightweight Kosei K1 wheels with 200-treadwear Hankook RS4 tires, KW V3 coilover suspension, some minor intake and exhaust modifications, a somewhat stripped interior with a roll bar, Sparco racing seat, six-point harness, upgraded shifter, more track-ready brake pads… and not much else besides attentive maintenance. I assume he's replaced chassis and suspension bushings here and there, but on the whole, it's a mild track build. Which I'm so glad was the case. Donning a HANS and strapping into the six-point Sparco harness, this M3 felt focused but in no way intimidating. Once underway on track, bringing the tires, brakes, and fluids up to temperature, it instantly became easy to get into a rhythm with. Even at a modest warm-up pace, Feeling the chassis turn-in to corners, modulating the brakes, and letting the mighty S52 pull me out of corner-exit with assured low-end torque was quite smile-inducing. When the tires and brakes were ready, it became downright therapeutic to rip through corners at much higher speed. Turn-in was much sharper than I'm used to in my own more modern BMW 128i, so I had to re-train my brain to turn harder—front-end grip was always there, especially through Laguna Seca's tricky Turns 2 and 9. Despite wearing tires with more than a few heat cycles on them, cornering grip was consistent and allowed me to really feel out weight transfer through the track's more high-commitment corners, and I couldn't get over how refreshingly light the car felt. Grippy, light, playful, consistent; I could've ripped laps in this thing all-day-long, especially with its ferocious baritone growl emitting from under the hood and out the tailpipe. The E36 BMW M3 Coupe. Peter Nelson The reason why old school technology is just as fascinating as the latest and greatest all boils down to what it's working with. At around 3,200 pounds—less in this track-prepared example's case—the E36 is athletic, communicative, and just simple. You feel like the only thing between your hands and the apex is a little bit of rubber, metal, and hydraulic fluid. New cars, especially the G80 M3, are far heavier, and the difference in how each takes on a corner is night and day. Don't get me wrong, they're still quite capable and fun to drive, but you feel far less connected, and, no matter how good its factory suspension tuning is, you feel its portliness shift around on each corner. The E36 BMW M3 Coupe. Peter Nelson Not only that, but the E36 I drove didn't have any form of traction control; just my right foot to feather the brake or gas pedal as needed. Because it's so light and communicative, and not too powerful, this wasn't an issue as you easily pick up on when the tires start to give out, or brakes are at their limit, and adjust as necessary. Or, catch a fun bout of oversteer. Like dealing with far less curb weight, less is more when it comes to power and electronics, and both aspects are a real palate cleanser in this old Bavarian brute compared to bigger and far more powerful modern hardware. At the end of the day, newer stuff may turn a quicker lap time, but it's a less-fulfilling experience. Another friend of mine—who's driven this particular example far more than me—noted that the E36-generation BMW M3 feels like a big NA-generation Mazda Miata (the original generation, for those unfamiliar) with more power. I can't think of a more apt description, and it's a testament to BMW M engineers' efforts in designing something meant for fun, engagement, and helping you become a better driver. For anyone who ever has the chance to drive one on the road or track, I highly recommend it. It's a very refreshing and smile-inducing antidote to modern-car complexity.
